Just a Little Late (originally named A Minute Too Late)
by Ashleyrocker112299
Summary: He barely heard Roy's voice saying "Edward. Edward Elric." over his own strangled cry. He lost the battle to stay conscious and his world faded into darkness.
1. Chapter 1

Roy Mustang hated rain. Light rain wasn't too bad, but it was not raining lightly. This was the kind of rain that bucketed down and soaked everything almost instantly. This was the kind of rain that made it nearly impossible to do flame alchemy.

Roy glared out the window at the rain. It was the rain's fault he was stuck inside doing paperwork today. He didn't even like doing paperwork on sunny days. Rainy days made his attention span short and his patience thin.

The man glanced at the clock "Fullmetal is late again," he sighed. This wasn't surprising. Edward Elric never arrived anywhere on time. Especially when he had to turn in a report. Roy went back to his paperwork. The rain pounding against the glass was the only sound besides the scratching of his pen. The time was 11:35

-Interruption-

Edward Elric hated rain. Every time it rained like this his arm and leg stumps ached. He also worried that his automail would rust if he was outside too long. Winry would literally murder him if that happened.

At this moment, however, Ed's mind wasn't on the possible wrench to the head. He wasn't thinking about his aching automail ports. Right now, he was running late and the time was the only thing he was thinking about.

"Why did that bastard make the meeting so early?" The teen grumbled as he ran past the clock tower. The time was 11:45. "Damn it! I was supposed to be there forty-five minutes ago. Colonel Bastard is going to torch me for sure."

Edward had woken up late. Way too late. He threw on his clothes as fast as he could, grabbed his report, yelled a quick "Goodbye Al," and was out the door. There was no time to call a car to pick him up or even wait for a cab so, Ed decided that running was probably the fastest option.

So, here he was, running down the streets of Central, completely soaked, cold, hungry, and extremely late. He's so distracted that he doesn't even realize he's being followed.

-Interruption-

11:50. The Fullmetal Alchemist was nearly an hour late as he finally made it to the Colonel's office. He kicked open the door. Roy didn't even look up as he says to the completely drenched, out-of-breath boy standing in the doorway, "Fullmetal, you're late for your report."

"You shouldn't have made the meeting so early. You know we got back late last night. You sent Major Armstrong to pick us up from the train station," Ed yelled as soon as he caught his breath. Now that he was here, all his worry about being late was fading into anger.

"I sent Armstrong because it was so late. There's been reports of a murderer on the loose. They said he only goes after children. You're so small, Fullmetal, you look like a child. I didn't want anything to happen to you.'

"Why should you care if anything happens to me?" Edward screamed, suddenly furious at the Colonel. "You're not my father, so don't act like it."

_"Because I care about your safety Edward."_ Roy thinks. But that's not what he says. He knew he wasn't the boy's father, but he still cared about him. He looks up from his paperwork, enraged. The man replies coldly, "If anything happens to you, I'm the one that has to fill out all of the paperwork. Now where is that report you were so late bringing?"

"Right here!" Ed pulls the piece of paper out of his pocket, crumples it into a ball, and throws it at Roy's head. He turned and ran out of the room.

"Colonel Bastard!" he yells as he slams the door behind him. He runs down the hallway and stairs, just wanting to get as far away from Mustang's office as possible. He doesn't notice the man waiting for him.

"Colonel Bastard!" Edward yelled as he slammed the door so hard the glass in the window rattled. Roy sighed. He always hated it when Ed called him that. He bends down and picks up the paper that the teen had thrown at him. He gently uncrumples the report and starts to read. He doesn't even finish the first line.

BLAM! Outside is a loud bang. It sounded familiar to Mustang. In fact, he had heard this sound so many times there was no way he could ever forget it. That sound would haunt him his entire life. It was the sound of a gunshot.

Edward's cry of pain is drowned out by the sound of the clock in the tower chiming 12:00

-Interruption-

"Fullmetal!" Roy yelled. He just knows something has happened to the boy. He grabs his gloves and runs out of his office. Roy was moving as fast as he could down the hallway and stairs, not noticing the odd looks he was getting. Getting to Edward was the only thing on his mind.

It's 12:05 when Roy gets outside to Edward. In those five minutes, the man who had shot Ed had gotten away. Roy didn't care. The only thing he cared about at the moment was the small alchemist that was bleeding on the ground.

There are four words Roy Mustang never expected to hear from Edward Elric. Four words he didn't think he would ever hear the boy say. Especially not to him. But here they were. Those four unexpected words being said to him. "I... need...your...help."

There are four words that Edward Elric never says. Not even to his brother Alphonse. Four words he never dreamed of saying. Especially not to Colonel Mustang. But, things change, and Ed finally said those four words. His voice was as thin and shaking as a leaf in the wind, he could barely get them out, his entire world was exploding with pain, but he eventually got them out.

"I... need... your... help."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Sorry for the wait. Here's the next part of the story.**_

* * *

_There are four words that Edward Elric never says. Not even to his brother Alphonse. Four words he never dreamed of saying. Especially not to Colonel Mustang. But, things change, and Ed finally said those four words. His voice was as thin and shaking as a leaf in the wind, he could barely get them out, his entire world was exploding with pain, but he eventually got them out._

_"I... need... your... help."_

Knowing there was no time to waste, Roy gently knelt down and slid one arm behind Edward's back and the other under his knees, taking extra care not to bump the bleeding wound on the boy's chest as he lifted Ed off the ground. Though the older man's movements were slow and careful, Ed couldn't suppress the low moan of pain as Roy lifted him up.

"Don't worry Edward," Roy reassured him, "I'm going to get you some help." He knew that there was absolutely nothing he could do to help. He had no experience in medical alchemy and burning the wound closed was definitely not going to happen. Even if Roy was comfortable causing Ed to go through almost unbearable pain, he couldn't do anything. The rain had already thoroughly soaked him, rendering him useless.

No, not useless. Roy could still do one thing. Get Edward to the hospital. They were the only people that could help him in time. It would take too long to call an ambulance, so Roy did the only thing he could. He held Ed closer to his chest and took off running towards his car, trying to ignore Ed's cries of pain and the blood that was rapidly staining his uniform.

-Interruption-

The ride to the hospital was the longest fifteen minutes of Roy Mustang's life. Every time he glanced back at Ed he was afraid the small alchemist in his backseat wouldn't be alive. Luckily, Edward Elric is not that easy to kill. He was fighting to stay awake with every bit of his strength, determined not to pass out in front of that damn Colonel.

"Fullmetal, we're almost there. Do you think you could stay awake just a little bit longer?" Roy asked. Ed didn't answer. He wanted to tell the Colonel that was still conscious and wasn't going to pass out any time soon, but he couldn't. A wave of dizziness, nausea, and pain hit him before he could reply. It took all of his willpower not to puke all over the man's car. He didn't trust himself enough to talk, or even open his mouth, and was probably too weak to be heard anyway.

"Fullmetal?" Roy asked. When he received no reply, he asked again, his voice rising slightly though he wasn't trying to yell. "Fullmetal, you still with me?"

Edward couldn't even moan in response. He kept his mouth shut, his metal hand clamped tightly over his lips. His other hand unconsciously tightening on the handkerchief that Roy had instructed him to keep on the wound to slow the blood flow. He was gripping it so hard his knuckles were turning white.

Roy was starting to panic. He couldn't take his eyes off the road right now, but he really needed to see how his passenger was doing. "Fullmetal?" he asked once more, hoping, no, praying for any signs of life from the seat behind him. There was nothing.

The traffic light turned red. The Colonel screeched to a halt, he looked back and was shocked to see how pale and bloody the boy had become. The blood from the wound had already soaked through the handkerchief and was now running down Ed's hand. His eyes were closed.

"Edward? Ed!?" Roy practically screamed, the panic hitting him suddenly. He hoped Ed was still alive. He was so worried that he almost missed Edward saying "I'm... still... here."

-Interruption-

"I'm... still... here," Edward said very softly, his golden eyes fluttering open. The dizziness and nausea had passed and the pain level was low enough that he could finally respond. "I'm... still... awake..." He didn't know how long he could manage that, but for now he was still awake. He hadn't noticed that the car had stopped until suddenly it was moving really fast again. The Colonel was driving faster than Ed had ever seen him drive before.

Roy was driving as fast as he could on the wet, crowded roads. The hospital was just around the next corner. They were so close to the help that Ed desperately needed.

"I... d-don't... feel good," Edward was saying. His voice so small and weak that it reminded Roy of a small ,sick child. This was definitely not good. Edward would never willingly sound that weak in front of the Colonel. Unfortunately, he turned around just in time to see Ed throw up. But that wasn't what made the man so worried. It was the fact that there was blood running out of the corner of the boy's mouth. "Internal bleeding." Roy realized.

Luckily, they had just arrived at the hospital. Finally. Roy threw open his door and rushed to pull Edward out of the backseat. He yanked open the door and pulled the teen out of the car as gently, but quickly as he could. The rapid movement caused an almost overwhelming surge of pain to shoot through Ed's chest. He couldn't hold back the cry of pain. It was too much.

Through the agony, he heard Roy screaming "Someone help! He's been shot!" Edward heard people rushing over and felt himself being taken from the Colonel's arms.

"What's his name?" a nurse yelled as Ed was placed on a gurney.

This movement sent the biggest wave of pain shooting through his body. He barely heard Roy's voice saying "Edward. Edward Elric." over his own strangled cry. He lost the battle to stay conscious and his world faded into darkness.

The time was 12:20


	3. Update

I am now in the process of updating the rewrite. I'll post a new chapter when the story is fully fixed. Thanks for all your support and constructive criticism. Don't give up on this story just yet.


End file.
